Updated Video of Hex Map

[Miir]

Back over the xmas holiday I pieced together a little animation that showed a bit of the hex structure and gameplay for Planetside 2 using a Planetside 1 map.
http://s224245511.onlinehome.us/ps/hex.jpg

At GDC some more detailed images of what the actually hex structure of INDAR would look like was released. So I began working on an updated version and this is what came out of that (see below)

Planetside 2 - Gameplay Explained - YouTube

I'd like to continue to add more to this as time goes on. If you would like to have something added to the video in the future please let me know and I will try to get it in. It's been a big help for me to visualize how the gameplay may play out using this as a tool.

[Stardouser]

I don't know how you would add it but I was watching some GDC video in which Higby was saying, as he flew over the terrain, something about how each of the little things he was flying over were minor capture points. Would be interesting if we could find a way to show just how many minor capture points there are in a hex.

Unless you already have that in?

[Miir]

This was the image I used to recreate the map.
http://s224245511.onlinehome.us/ps/indar.jpg

It's hard to judge what some of the smaller capture points would be. Anything that was sort of noticeable I flagged as a tower or bunker. But without more information it's hard to say for sure. Some of the areas look bigger than a tower so they could be something else.

[Lonehunter]

Nice video as always Mir, just curious where the numbers of people on the cont/server came from

[Shanesan]

Your video says "600 players, total 1800 players per server"

That's per faction. 600 players PER FACTION.

[Miir]

Numbers came from here:
http://www.1up.com/previews/planetside-2-massive-free-mmofps

In a region holding up to 600 players

[Lonehunter]

" In a region holding up to 600 players, you can just focus on the 10 that are in your squad."
To me that implies 600 people on your faction, which means 1,800 people fighting on the continent. Which kinda goes with what they've said previously. It was "thousands" then it became "over a thousand".

But 1,800 on the server? What about the other 2 continents? If every server had a 1,800, or even 5,400 person cap (enough to fill every continent) you'd need to have 100s of servers just to support the population lol. For those who don't know Planetside started with 5

[Shanesan]

Numbers came from here:
http://www.1up.com/previews/planetside-2-massive-free-mmofps

I don't have a copy of the PCGamer article, but I'm sure someone with it can back me up with the "aiming for 2000 players per continent", or at least 600 players per faction, bit.

[Grognard]

I gotta hand it to you Miir... that was first class... very organized, very clear, very well done.

On a personal note, you used a color for the Vanu that us colorblind people can distinguish easily from the NC on maps like this... thanks.

[Miir]

I took it as region being a continent. It's an easy fix if that's the case.

[Shanesan]

I took it as region being a continent. It's an easy fix if that's the case.

I think the 1up article is simply wrong. If the article was telling facts, your video would be correct, but I know the 1up article is wrong. 600 per faction, per continent.

600 * 3 = 1800

1800 * 3 continents = 5400 per server (lets call it a cluster) total, approximately of course.

[Miir]

PC Gamer article quoted 666v666v666 per server?

[DOUBLEXBAUGH]

Nice vid, but as others have said, the PC gamer article said they are going for 666 vs 666 vs 666 per cont. Thats 2000 per cont or 6000 per server.

[Miir]

Fixed it... rendering a new video now.

Thanks guys.

[Stardouser]

Is there actually going to be a hard cap of 6000 per continent though? If so, that's going to cause people to not be able to log in unless they keep the per server character creation limited, and if they do that, it could cause average player load to be well under 6000 at times.

Perhaps 6000 is some kind of average, not maximum, that they are shooting for? One way they could have more players on a server yet with less chaos is through the multicrewing of vehicles, for example tanks, a driver and a gunner instead of the driver being both driver and gunner. But unfortunately it sounds like they are lowering the threshold and giving drivers the gun controls too. Which means it will be twice as many tanks in every situation - for example.

[ringring]

We're getting confused with the continent / server thing.

The caps will be per continent and there will at launch be 3 continents per server.

2000 or so people per continent would equate to 666 vs 666 vs 666, but we don't know until the beta stress testing what the exact figures will be.

[DOUBLEXBAUGH]

We're getting confused with the continent / server thing.

The caps will be per continent and there will at launch be 3 continents per server.

2000 or so people per continent would equate to 666 vs 666 vs 666, but we don't know until the beta stress testing what the exact figures will be.

We know they can and probably will change at this point, but the caps are not just for conts. With a 2000 cap per cont and only 3 conts with no sancs for other people to log into, there is a server cap of 6000.

[NewSith]

<3 the work done, Miir!

[Shogun]

nice video!

there seems to be still some confusion about the playernumbers.
t-ray always talked about 2000 per server, but with 3 continents per server that would be less players than the original planetside had ;-) so i think 2k per cont is the goal.

there is one thing i would change on the video!
at the beginning all 3 continents use the indar shape. please change the shape of the other 2 conts to something made up, or the shape of the old ps conts.
looks cheap with 3 conts of the same shape and may scare the uninformed viewer ;)

[Nalan]

Great video, definately helps explain things to those who don't understand Planetside, thanks muchly :)

[Hamma]

Great work on the video looks great! :D

[PredatorFour]

Stardouser made a very good point in a recent thread - What happens to the player caps when they increase the conts above the 3 we get at launch ??? does this mean the servers will grow in playerbase size ? Or will the playerbase just get spread out over large areas ? Quite interesting point.

Awesome video btw;)

[DOUBLEXBAUGH]

Stardouser made a very good point in a recent thread - What happens to the player caps when they increase the conts above the 3 we get at launch ??? does this mean the servers will grow in playerbase size ? Or will the playerbase just get spread out over large areas ? Quite interesting point.

Awesome video btw;)

When we are refering to server caps we are not saying how much a server can handle mechanically wise, we are saying that you can only have 6000 per server atm because once all 3 conts are player capped at 2000 each, no more can log in. If they add another cont it will allow another 2000 to be able to log in. Eventually you can reach a point that the game world is so big people will be able to go to uncapped conts to spread out because there is more player spaces than people that want to log in.

In PS1 at launch the Emerald server usually had 3 locked conts, a medium sized fight, and a few small fights across the rest of the 9 conts. If we look at that in PS2 terms, those 3 locked conts will be the only people that can log in. The people who were at the medium and small fights before wont have a place to log into. If they add a fourth cont, then they can go there. If they add a fifth cont then people can spread out a little and fight over that fifth, or more people can come to the server.

[RadarX]

This was incredible well done Miir. We've created a "fan" playlist to include amazing videos like this and yours is the first. If you see other amazing videos, let me know!

[Graywolves]

I really loved watching this video.

[Stardouser]

When we are refering to server caps we are not saying how much a server can handle mechanically wise, we are saying that you can only have 6000 per server atm because once all 3 conts are player capped at 2000 each, no more can log in. If they add another cont it will allow another 2000 to be able to log in. Eventually you can reach a point that the game world is so big people will be able to go to uncapped conts to spread out because there is more player spaces than people that want to log in.

In PS1 at launch the Emerald server usually had 3 locked conts, a medium sized fight, and a few small fights across the rest of the 9 conts. If we look at that in PS2 terms, those 3 locked conts will be the only people that can log in. The people who were at the medium and small fights before wont have a place to log into. If they add a fourth cont, then they can go there. If they add a fifth cont then people can spread out a little and fight over that fifth, or more people can come to the server.

If a lot of people can't even log in while they wait for others to cap territory, why would they be interested in PS2? Or am I understanding that wrong?

And if I am understanding that wrong, the question remains - the server's regular playerbase is probably going to cease growing beyond the point that which the maximum log in number will support. If you suddenly add more continents, then everyone will spread out. Unless more players magically appear to log in?

[Red Beard]

Back over the xmas holiday I pieced together a little animation that showed a bit of the hex structure and gameplay for Planetside 2 using a Planetside 1 map.
http://s224245511.onlinehome.us/ps/hex.jpg

At GDC some more detailed images of what the actually hex structure of INDAR would look like was released. So I began working on an updated version and this is what came out of that (see below)

Planetside 2 - Gameplay Explained - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ49o7GA0O8)

I'd like to continue to add more to this as time goes on. If you would like to have something added to the video in the future please let me know and I will try to get it in. It's been a big help for me to visualize how the gameplay may play out using this as a tool.


Miir; what's the name of the song in that video (Planetside 2 - Gameplay Explained)? :rock:

[Malorn]

Nice video. One thing I would add is the territory adjacency system and capture mechanics encourage battling on the border territories and because they have some adjacent territory the capture time and success chance is more favorable. This creates natural battle lines and solidifies territory.

I'd love to know how you modeled this, as my artistic skills are terrible and would love to figure out how I could better express ideas, either as animations or as static images.

[CutterJohn]

I'd love to know how you modeled this, as my artistic skills are terrible and would love to figure out how I could better express ideas, either as animations or as static images.

I know how I'd do it, but it would be incredibly painstaking animating each of those chunks..


Great video. Also, guys, I'd not worry too much about numbers. They have a ballpark they are shooting for, but any number is up in the air until beta stress tests occur.

[Miir]

I'd love to know how you modeled this, as my artistic skills are terrible and would love to figure out how I could better express ideas, either as animations or as static images.

The first video was done completely in adobe after effects.

This one was a bit of a hybrid. I modeled the map in 3ds max and then imported it into after effects to mess around with.
Here's a screen shot of the composition in aftereffects (or most of it)
http://s224245511.onlinehome.us/ps/AE.jpg

It'll probably make someone that uses Aftereffects for a living cringe. There are probably more efficient ways to do this stuff. I however use Autocad for a living so I have to do everything the hard way. lol

[Gandhi]

Cool video! I've noticed a lot of people who aren't familiar with Planetside 1 don't really get the capture system, this should really help clear things up.


This one was a bit of a hybrid. I modeled the map in 3ds max and then imported it into after effects to mess around with.
Here's a screen shot of the composition in aftereffects (or most of it)
http://s224245511.onlinehome.us/ps/AE.jpg

This is how my EVE videos used to look too, with the added frustration that AE would crash randomly after using more than 20 or so layers...

[DOUBLEXBAUGH]

If a lot of people can't even log in while they wait for others to cap territory, why would they be interested in PS2? Or am I understanding that wrong?

They will probably have a que to get on if you try to log in when all the conts are full. In PS1 tho you could still log into the sanc and go to a different cont that wasn't player capped or go sit in the WG in another que to get to the capped cont. In PS2 you will get forced to the cont the person you are replacing logged off on, and either join that fight or sit in the WG and que to the cont you want.

And if I am understanding that wrong, the question remains - the server's regular playerbase is probably going to cease growing beyond the point that which the maximum log in number will support. If you suddenly add more continents, then everyone will spread out. Unless more players magically appear to log in?

It would allow people to spread out more, but they probably wouldn't. In PS1 there was 9 conts, but your entire empire generally all went for the same one (or in the early years when pops were high the same 2 or 3). When you captured or got forced off a cont, the CR5s would start spamming to go to cont X and most would go there, the few that wouldn't usually got kicked from were they were going rather fast and would join the main fight anyway.

[Naz The Eternal]

Just wanted to say thank you for making that video.

Definitely helped me explain the system to some of my Outfit members who are not familiar with Planetside

Cheers

[Infektion]

LOL imagine the chaos with 6k players!

[headcrab13]

At GDC some more detailed images of what the actually hex structure of INDAR would look like was released. So I began working on an updated version and this is what came out of that (see below)

SOE, HIRE THIS MAN!

Holy cow, that was an excellent vid, Miir! I simply can't wait to see what you'll do with PS2's marketing when the game launches and you have full access to HD gameplay video.

-HC13

[Cosmical]

Really frigging good Miir. Not to be a pain to the Dev's. But maybe we could get an Hour of Higby's time and he could record his voice for you to put over the top. If your interested?

I'm sure theres some issue there where content wise they would have to pay you or something? But im sure there is a way around it?

Or if you want to keep it as a personal work, i understand. And forget i said anything.

[Miir]

Really frigging good Miir. Not to be a pain to the Dev's. But maybe we could get an Hour of Higby's time and he could record his voice for you to put over the top. If your interested?

I'm sure theres some issue there where content wise they would have to pay you or something? But im sure there is a way around it?

Or if you want to keep it as a personal work, i understand. And forget i said anything.

That's not a bad idea... they know I work cheap (for beta) ;)

Perhaps on the next iteration of the video I'll see if Higby wants to do some voice over work. That would be pretty awesome if he can.

[Marsgrim]

May have been pointed out, but your "hexes" are not actually hexagons :P

[DOUBLEXBAUGH]

May have been pointed out, but your "hexes" are not actually hexagons :P

What? It is a hex map, then hexes are grouped together around capture points. Depending on the size of the capture point you will get 3-6 hexes when you take it.

[Miir]

May have been pointed out, but your "hexes" are not actually hexagons :P

They are there they are just cloaked. (ninja hexagons)

:)